


Zubbi's Story

by Reader88



Series: The Utopian Knights [14]
Category: Midnight: A Gangster Love Story - Sister Souljah, School of Rock (2003)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-24
Updated: 2014-07-28
Packaged: 2018-02-10 07:18:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2015997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Reader88/pseuds/Reader88
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zubbi Uzoma is a Nigerian boy growing up in Lagos, Nigeria. His father teaches him how to play the trumpet and Zubbi dreams of becoming a musician. He gets a chance at his dream when and his father move to Chicago, Illinois.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I imagine Zubbi Uzoma to look like Shavar Ross, a child actor who played Dudley on the sitcom "Diff'rent Strokes".  
> Plus, Zubbi is pronounced like this: Zoo-Bee.

The first thing Zubbi remembered in his life was music. His father owned a trumpet and would play the most beautiful music. It got inside you and made you feel good inside. It put a smile on your face and real joy in your heart. Zubbi vowed to dedicate his life to music and attempted to master the trumpet.

Azubuike Amazu Uzoma was born on May 1st, 1978. He was the only child of Amazu and Ogechi Uzoma. His mother died when he was a baby from yellow fever so he was raised by his father. Azubuike means  _Unity, the past is your strength_ , Amazu means _No one knows everything_ , and Uzoma means, _A child who has had a good journey from the Lord to their family_. Zubbi and his parents were part of the Igbo tribe, one of the largest ethnic groups in Nigeria.

His father Amazu often told his son stories of Nigeria's past. Nigeria had achieved independence from British rule in 1960. However, by 1967 the rising economic, ethnic, cultural, and religious tensions, mainly between the Hausas of the north and the Igboes of the southeast, came to a head. As a result, the Nigerian Civil War commenced when the southeastern provinces attempted to secede from the Nigerian Union as the self-proclaimed Republic of Biafra. Since the eastern region of Nigeria was Igbo dominant, Amazu's family had sided with Biafra. Amazu's father, Diji, was one of the most successful farmers and wealthiest landowners in southeast Nigeria. Diji had joined the war as a soldier and was killed in battle. Amazu's older brother, Obi, was left in charge of the family farm. Amazu described the family farm as a tropical paradise of banana, mango, cocoa, coffee, tamarind, and palm trees. The family also grew maize, rice, millet, yams, peanuts, sorghum, and cassava. They also raised several cows, goats, sheep, pigs, and hens. They got fish from a nearby stream. There were several hired farm hands to keep the farm going. Amazu, his parents, and siblings lived in a large, two-story house built by Diji and the size of the family's two hundred acre compound depicted their wealth. Unfortunately, Nigerian soldiers had taken over his family farm, killed his mother and eldest brother, and forced Amazu and his remaining siblings to trek for several days in the bush, avoiding Nigerian soldiers and eating any food they could forage. They finally found refuge in an overcrowded orphanage in Port Harcourt. Amazu's sister later died from polio and his brother died from malaria. Amazu himself and most of the other children almost died from starvation but managed to survive. Amazu learned how to play the trumpet from another teenager living in the orphanage who later died from cholera and played music to escape the horrors of war. An estimated 1 to 3 million people died during the siege of Biafra from warfare, disease, and starvation. Then finally on January 15th, 1970, Nigeria won and Biafra surrendered and rejoined Nigeria. When Amazu was only fifteen he tried to reclaim his family's property. When Amazu saw that a war criminal had claimed the Uzomas' estate he tried to make an appeal with the state governor. But the governor "misplaced" the deed Amazu entrusted to him and was also wearing a new gold watch. Corruption and bribes between politicians had become common place. Amazu decided to leave the eastern region since it held too many sad memories. He moved to the southwestern region and settled in the slums of the capital city, Lagos. In the capital city it was difficult for him to find a job as people discriminated against him due to his Igbo heritage. The war wasn't old news to most people. Amazu was able to make money by playing the trumpet at some local gigs. A few years later Amazu met Ogechi, fell in love, and got married. Zubbi was born a year later. Since anti-war tensions had died down a bit, Amazu was able to get a full-time job as a construction worker.

Zubbi's and Amazu's main influences came from West African musicians. After several African countries achieved independence from the 1950s to the 1960s, nations were eager to create their own cultural identities. New styles of music flourished. Zubbi admired several groups such as Bembeya Jazz from Guinea, Dexter Johnson & The International Band from Senegal, and musicians from Nigeria, such as Fela Kuti, Celestine Ukwu, and Sir Victor Uwaifo & His Melody Maestroes. With highlife guitars and horns, Guinea big-band music, early Senegalese mbalax with tasty Latin influences, and funky Afro-beat sounds, Zubbi grew up during a golden era of West African music.

Zubbi also listened to records by African-American artists. The nightclubs kept plenty of American records and Zubbi could hear the African influences black Americans used in their music. Stevie Wonder's voice and lyrics could make you see pictures. Bob Marley possessed a thoughtful and melodious voice. Little Michael Jackson of The Jackson 5 amazed and excited people with his wise-beyond-his-years voice. Aretha Franklin's voice shouted out messages of female empowerment. James Brown's songs would exhaust you emotionally. But Zubbi's favourite African-American musical genre was jazz; there were several jazz trumpeters that included Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie, and Clark Terry but Zubbi's favourite jazz trumpeter was Miles Davis. Zubbi vowed to become as good as they were.

Zubbi had learned in school that the blacks of America were descendants of slaves who were kidnapped from West Africa and forced to work as slaves for white people. But in a few centuries they were finally set free. Zubbi thought, _I probably have tons of distant relatives in America. I wonder if I would recognize them if I saw them face to_ _face_.


	2. Chapter 2

Zubbi and his father weren't rich, powerful, or well-connected. In fact they barely had enough to eat. Amazu worked hard at his jobs at the construction sites and made extra money playing his trumpet in some nightclubs. Amazu managed to scrape enough money to survive but it still wasn't enough.

Zubbi and his father lived in Makoko, a slum built on stilts over a lagoon. When Zubbi woke up each morning he always saw a vast expanse of water outside his front door. He would walk on planks and piles of garbage to stay dry and got buckets of water from a nearby well. Amazu always boiled the water so that his son wouldn't catch cholera. If Zubbi got sick it was highly unlikely that Amazu could scrape enough money to get his son medicine. In Africa death from different diseases such as cholera, HIV/AIDS, sleeping sickness, yellow fever, polio, malaria, et cetera, was very common. The infant mortality rate was high since a lot of children died before they reached the age of five. Thankfully Zubbi didn't die and Amazu used whatever money or resources he had to get his son vaccinations, such as the polio and influenza vaccines.

Zubbi went to a school in an old, one-room building. A nun from the Catholic Church taught the children reading, writing, arithmetic, history, geography, and the stories of the Bible. Zubbi went to school in the morning and came home in the afternoon. Since they only had the one school, some kids went to school in the morning and some in the afternoon. After school Zubbi would finish his homework and then go outside to play football with his friends. Besides the Nigerian teams, Zubbi and his father also loved Manchester United from England. The Red Devils were the roughest and toughest team in the whole world. Zubbi used to fantasize about becoming a great football player but his heart was set on music.

Amazu taught his son to play the trumpet at the age of four. Within a few years Zubbi was almost as talented as his father. The extra money Amazu received was enough to put food on the table and clothes on their back. Amazu dreamed of becoming a professional musician but it seemed like an impossible dream. However, countries like America had plenty of famous musicians. If they moved there they might have a shot.

Zubbi and Amazu attended church every Sunday at a Roman Catholic Church. The main religions in Africa are Christianity and Islam. There were plenty of churches and mosques in Lagos for the Christians and Muslims to worship in. Christians believe in only one God and his son, Jesus Christ. God sent down his only son from heaven to save the world from sin. Jesus was crucified, resurrected, and ascended to heaven to be with his father. All Christian stories are written in the Bible, which is divided into the Old Testament and New Testament. Islam is practiced by Muslims, who believe in one God whom they call Allah. Allah revealed the Qur'an to Muhammad so he could teach mankind truth and justice. Those who "submit" to Allah will attain salvation. In Nigeria, Muslims lived in the north and Christians lived in the south. The Igbo tribe were predominantly Christians. The Hausa tribe were predominantly Muslims. Other tribes practiced Christianity, Islam, or indigenous tribal religions. The different religions in Nigeria was one of the causes of the Nigerian Civil War and still caused conflicts in Nigeria and other parts of Africa. Amazu told his son that it was stupid for men to separate themselves based on tribe or religion. A country is strong as long as the men stand together. Amazu explained that during the war the West had provided weapons to both sides of the war but chose not to come to confront the Nigerians themselves. During a war there are always businessmen who make money by selling weapons and hope they can loot the country of its natural resources after both enemies have wiped each other out. It was because of the West's greed that Nigerians and other Africans had been kidnapped as slaves. It was because of the West that Great Britain set up a colony on the soils of Nigeria. It was because of the West that Nigeria was allowed independence during ethnic, religious, and economic tensions. Thanks to the West the word "Africa" was immediately associated with corruption, war, disease, and poverty.

After the civil war Nigeria tried to return to democracy in 1979 when Olusegun Obasanjo transferred power to the civilian regime of Shehu Shagari. The Shagari government became viewed as corrupt and incompetent by virtually all sectors of Nigerian society. Muhammadu Buhari's military coup in 1984 was generally viewed as a positive development. His regime was overthrown by another military coup in 1985 by Ibrahim Babangida, who declared himself president and commander in chief of the armed forces and the ruling Supreme Military Council. There were several human rights violations in Nigeria which included police brutality; corruption in the legal system; rape, torture, and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment of prisoners, detainees and suspects; harsh and life‑threatening prison and detention centre conditions; child labour; female genital mutilation; restrictions on freedom of assembly, movement, press, speech and religion; and the abridgement of the right of citizens to change the government. Zubbi heard the adults in the slums complain about how the military dictatorship was turning Nigeria into a living hell. Under the _Shari'a_ penal code that applies to Muslims in the twelve northern states, offenses such as alcohol consumption, homosexuality, infidelity, and theft carry harsh sentences, including amputation, lashing, stoning, and long prison terms. Zubbi had witnessed this when his father took him to a gig in northern Nigeria at an Islamic family's estate.

But even Zubbi could see that there was beauty in Nigeria. The palm trees, the beaches, the blue skies, the vast ocean. The stores that sold _jollof_ rice, _balangu_ , fried plantain, and _moin moin_. You could hear highlife music everywhere in the streets and you couldn't stop yourself from dancing. People always wore bright, coloured clothes and were always chatting with family and friends. Africa was a land full of beauty but very few outsiders could see it.

Life was difficult but there were still moments of joy. Until...


	3. Chapter 3

"We're moving?!" exclaimed Zubbi.

Amazu explained, "We'll have better opportunities there. The Americans help out new immigrants until they can stand on their own two feet. The band will stand a much higher chance of becoming professional musicians if we move to America. You know about all the black musicians they have there. With all these military coups, Nigeria isn't a good place for us anymore."

That was true. Zubbi had heard about a place called Hollywood where all America's musicians and other entertainers lived. He remembered that name because it sounded similar to Nollywood, the name of Nigeria's film industry. Lagos was a popular filming location and Zubbi had caught glimpses of famous Nigerian movie stars. Still, moving is always a big step for a family.

Zubbi tried to imagine living in America. All he knew about the country was black music and that the black Americans used to be slaves. He'd also heard of Martin Luther King, Jr., who was said to have been a great leader of the black Americans. Zubbi had also heard of Malcolm X, a Black Muslim who had visited Nigeria in 1964. Zubbi was told that he and his father were moving to a city called Chicago. Since the band Earth, Wind & Fire were from Chicago it had to be a musical city. Communication wouldn't be a problem. Zubbi was fluent in English, Igbo, Swahili, and German. English is the official language of Nigeria as a result of British colonization. Swahili is an African language that originated in East Africa but it wasn't an official Nigerian language. Zubbi's schoolteachers believed that every black person should speak Swahili so that all black people had a common language apart from anything the white man had created. Germany had colonized several countries in Africa, including a small part of Nigeria. When the German Empire was dissolved in 1918, other European countries took over Germany's African colonies, including Great Britain. Amazu said that you can learn any language if you take the time to listen and learn so his son learned how to speak all four languages fluently.

Zubbi knew that he and his dad would also be surrounded by white people in America. Most of the whites in Nigeria were diplomats, tourists, and scientists. The diplomats were attempting to negotiate peace with Nigeria's military dictatorship. The tourists stayed in fancy hotels and relaxed at the beach. The scientists visited the jungles and savannahs to study the plants and wildlife. The name "Africa" was also associated with lions, leopards, giraffes, hippos, and monkeys. Still, Africans took pride in their natural environment as it was talked about all over the world. Zubbi had never been to the nature reserves and had always wished to see a lion.

Zubbi's friends tried to cheer him up but they didn't have a lot of knowledge about America either. "It gets freezing cold in America so make sure you get a warm coat," said Paul.

"Whites can be dangerous. They used to kidnap blacks from their home, torture them, kill them, and even eat them," replied Akachi. Zubbi was sure that wasn't true. If whites ate blacks then there wouldn't be a large population of blacks in America.

Soon Amazu and the other members of his band had made all the arrangements, packed their things, and in June 1986 had friends drive them to Murtala Muhammed International Airport, one of the largest airports in Africa and a top international air passenger gateway to Nigeria. They waited for hours before they were allowed to board. Zubbi had never been on an airplane and he was excited and scared at the same time. What if the plane crashed? What if it got lost? Amazu assured his son that everything would be alright. Soon the plane took off for Chicago, Illinois, USA.


	4. Chapter 4

The flight took 15 hours and 50 minutes. Zubbi got bored on the plane and passed the time by reading his only book of fairy tales, eating the food the crew served them, watching the Nollywood movies the crew set up for the passengers, and looking at the clouds in the sky. Finally the plane landed and they were in America. A voice said, "Welcome to Chicago, Illinois, USA. The current time is 12:00 noon. Please exit in a calm and orderly fashion."

When they exited the plane they had to go through US Customs. Amazu and the other adults showed the American customs officers their passports and the officers searched their few belongings. One of the officers said, "Look at how skinny these kids are!"

Another said, "What do you expect? Everyone is dirt poor in Africa. Probably can't afford to get their kids enough to eat."

Zubbi didn't like how the officers were talking about them like they weren't even there. Then an officer told the women, "Remove your veils and headscarves."

The band members came from different tribes. Some were Igbo, some were Yoruba, and some were Hausa. The Hausa were Muslims and having their wives remove their _niqabs_ and _hijabs_ was considered an insult to them. Muslim women are never asked to reveal themselves in the presence of any man who is not their father, husband, brother, or son. Amazu saw the officers' weapons hanging on their hips. Zubbi saw the cameras aimed down at them.

Amazu told his friends, "Tell your wives to do as the officer says."

The women removed their _niqabs_ and _hijabs_. The customs men reacted to their revealed beauty with gasps, long lusty stares, and dirty smirks. One of the Hausa men asked, "Are you done?"

One officer said, "Yeah, head to the next line."

Then they picked up their luggage, exited the airport, and got their first breath of American air. The men hailed a taxi, loaded their luggage, and asked the driver to take them to their new homes in South Side Chicago. The driver got a nervous look on his face before he started the car and drove. Zubbi noticed the tall skyscrapers, the busy streets, and the number of people. Chicago was a lot like Lagos!

The driver then asked, "Aren't you guys hot from wearing those jackets?"

Zubbi replied, "But it gets cold in America."

The driver stated, "It's June, kid. Cold weather doesn't come until September. Take the jackets off before you get heatstroke!" Zubbi and his father took off their jackets and stopped sweating.

Soon the driver made it to the South Side. Zubbi and his father stepped out and took a good look at the neighbourhood. There was graffiti on the walls, cars double parked on the street, and kids wearing bright colours, weird hats, and sequin gloves on one hand. Zubbi didn't understand why someone would only wear one glove. It looked a little silly.

Amazu said, "Zubbi, come on."

Zubbi and Amazu carried their luggage to the front desk and Amazu asked, "Is there someone who can help us take our bags to our room?"

The man at the front desk replied, "Dude, does this look like a hotel to you? You can carry your own bags upstairs since your arms ain't broken."

Zubbi had never heard someone speak to his father this way. In Nigeria it would be downright disrespectful. But this was a new country and things were different.

Amazu asked, "Can I have my room key, please?" Amazu showed the man the paper he had that said which room was his. The man at the front desk gave him two keys and showed him where the elevator was.

"Press ten to get to your floor," said the man at the front desk. When Zubbi and Amazu got to their apartment it seemed about the same size as their old home back in the slums of Lagos. There was a living room, a kitchen, a bathroom, and two bedrooms. The apartment was already furnished so there was a sofa, tables, chairs, and beds.

Amazu said, "Well, this apartment won't fix itself." Zubbi and Amazu unpacked their things then got information about different stores in the area. They bought brooms, scrubbers, dusters, and different cleansers. In a few days the apartment looked as good as new.

The other band members were having trouble adjusting to America. The band members' wives revealed that the shock of this new place, the weird people, and the things they saw everyday was making them sick, physically and mentally. The packaged food tasted terrible since it wasn't made with fresh ingredients. In Nigeria, they got fresh food everyday at the Lagos markets. Even the water that came out of the taps and the water fountains didn't taste the same. Zubbi knew that it was easier to get water from a tap than from a well, but water from the wells was fresher than water from a tap. The men didn't like the Americans' arrogance. They kept on saying that the United States of America was the best place in the world and that the Nigerians were lucky that they moved to the USA from Africa, the worst place in the world. The train rides were a source of shock: singing beggars with missing limbs; foul-mouthed youth who wouldn't make room for their elders and women; men dressed as women and women dressed as men; and drug dealers trying to sell crack. Zubbi remembered when a man sitting next to him on the train turned out to be dead. Two young transit workers got onto the train, then started arguing about who was going to remove the body and clean up the watery shit that was left in his chair.

In order to make the apartment feel like a Nigerian oasis, Amazu bought some African decorations, such as rugs, mats, and ceramic vases. He found a small store that sold food items used in Nigerian food. Fruits and vegetables such as okra, black-eyed peas, eggplant, plantains, yams, tamarinds, and pumpkins. Spices such as thyme, coriander, ginger, hot chili peppers, and melegueta peppers. Amazu also disliked buying food at The Salvation Army because most of the food was rotten, bland, stale, or had expired. He bought cereal grains, such as rice, sorghum, and millet at a Chinese food store, got fresh meat from butcher shops, and fish at the seafood market. The blend of colours and smell of spices made their apartment feel more like a home.

Amazu managed to get a job as a construction worker while Zubbi would walk around the neighbourhood and try to make friends. But it was tough since he was the new kid. Zubbi soon learned about the life in the ghetto fast. There was nothing wrong with the building, the block, or the sky above. It was the blacks living there who had to be closely watched.

A boy named DeSean saw him and asked, "What kind of clothes are those?"

Zubbi was wearing an Isiagu with a ceremonial Igbo men's hat called an _Okpu Agwu_. Zubbi replied, "These are Nigerian clothes. Back home all the boys and men wear these."

DeSean laughed at Zubbi's accent and stated, "Nigga, this is America. You wanna stay alive you need some new clothes. Tyrone says you're gonna get your ass whooped if you don't take that shit off."

The next day when Zubbi was walking down the block someone punched him on his jaw. He fell down and readied himself for the next attack. A black boy came out of the alley and said, "Either you get rid of this shit or I'm gonna hurt you bad. You're fucking up the whole look of the block."

Zubbi remembered that his father had taught him to find a peaceful solution to every problem. Zubbi wasn't a great fighter and this boy looked liked a skilled fighter. Zubbi said, "If I get some American clothes will you leave me alone?"

The boy said, "Never mind me. If you get on Tyrone's bad side you'll probably end up dead."

Zubbi talked to DeSean, who got his mother to drive them to The Salvation Army and picked out new clothes for Zubbi. They bought bright colourful shirts, blue jeans, other pants with colours that didn't match the shirts, Nike sneakers, a bright red jacket, a fedora, and a sequin glove. At his apartment Zubbi dressed in red pants, the red jacket, the Nike sneakers, and the sequin glove. But he also decided to wear one of his African tie-dyed shirts so that he wouldn't forget where he came from.

DeSean said, "Zip up the red jacket to cover that African shit and you'll fit right in."

Zubbi asked, "How come kids like wearing these sneakers, this red jacket, and one glove?"

DeSean replied, "Michael Jordan endorses these kicks and since he's a great basketball player kids mimic what he wears. This red jacket was worn by Michael Jackson in his 'Thriller' music video. You've heard of MJ, right?"

Zubbi replied, "Yeah, I've listened to his _Thriller_ album and his Jackson Five records." Zubbi didn't mention that since he and his father hadn't owned a TV they had never seen MJ's music videos.

DeSean continued, "MJ also wore one sequin glove in his _Motown 25_ performance where he debuted the Moonwalk. If you learn how to Moonwalk the girls will worship you."

A few days later, Zubbi saw his old sandals dangling from the telephone wires that ran from pole to pole high in the 'hood. DeSean said that black men don't wear sandals in the ghetto, even in the summer. To Zubbi it was a symbol of where he was and who he had to become to stay alive.

Zubbi also asked DeSean to teach him about the history of black Americans. DeSean took him to the library located at the Matthew Harper Community Centre and showed him the section of the library that had books on black history. Zubbi read books that taught him about a variety of subjects: the 250 years of slavery the blacks had to endure, Reconstruction, the rise of Jim Crow, the Great African-American migration, the Civil Rights Movement, and other aspects of African-American culture, including music, literature, and science. Zubbi saw how black Americans were a people who were constantly fighting for equality and self-respect. They had managed to develop an admirable culture despite being first brought to America in chains. Zubbi thought the black Americans had a lot in common with Nigerians since Africans had also had to fight for independence. Maybe the black Americans weren't so bad after all.

Zubbi soon found out there was one thing he loved about the South Side: the music. Zubbi was given valuable lessons in pop culture thanks to DeSean. Michael Jackson was the biggest star of the '80s and was also a fashion guru. Zubbi listened to his music and to other black artists, such as Lionel Richie, Whitney Houston, Run-D.M.C., and Prince. Kids carried boomboxes and had breakdance battles on the corners of the ghetto. Zubbi soon broke out his trumpet and was playing on the streets of the South Side. People listened and even gave him money! He played jazz, blues, R&B, and urban beats. Amazu's band had also been able to find extra work at some nightclubs. Amazu was sure that with hard work the band would receive their big break and then they could kiss the ghetto good-bye.

Most of the kids on the block were surprised Zubbi had a father because most of the kids in the South Side didn't even know where their fathers were. After Zubbi introduced DeSean to his father, DeSean told him, "My father abandoned me and my mother, my bro DeRon's father was killed, and my oldest bro DeQuan's father is in jail."

Zubbi felt sorry for them since without his father he would probably have lost a large part of his identity. In Nigeria, there were plenty of children without fathers so Zubbi knew he was lucky. The other band members' children found it hard to adjust to the South Side. A twelve-year-old boy named Emeka said, "I can't believe our parents dragged us to this living Hell. We're surrounded by savages who are murdering each other for no reason. I think the military-guarded streets of Lagos are safer."

Zubbi told him, "There's nothing for us to go back to in Nigeria. This is what we have. This  _is_ home."

The youngest member of the band, sixteen-year-old Jamal, asked Zubbi, "Do you know where I can get a gun? I need something to protect my wife and my daughter but the gun stores don't sell guns to people under the age of eighteen."

Zubbi asked DeSean where Jamal could get a gun. DeSean laughed and said, "Don't worry, I know where Jamal can get a gun for a cheap price." DeSean took Zubbi and Jamal to Tyrone's apartment. Zubbi remembered that Tyrone was the guy who had had a problem with his traditional African attire.

Tyrone said, "I got guns. Only five hundred dollars."

Jamal said, "What?!"

Tyrone asked, "You want a gun or not?"

Jamal took out his wallet and paid for the gun. Jamal asked, "What about bullets?"

Tyrone said, "That's extra." Jamal gave him a murderous look and Tyrone then said, "But I'll give you your first set absolutely free."

Zubbi and his father ate three square meals a day. Soon they put on weight and looked healthier than when they were living in the slums of Lagos. They had electricity and running water 24/7 as long as they paid their bills. Amazu planned to enroll his son at the local elementary school because one of the reasons they had moved to America was so that his son would get a better education. Chicago was famous for education and one of the world's most famous universities, the University of Chicago, was located in the city.

The ghetto was also a living hell for blacks since there were robberies, gang shootouts, illegal drugs, and police brutality. The ghettos of South Side Chicago didn't seem any better than the slums of Lagos. Zubbi learned that The Salvation Army got food and clothes from donations. But it seemed like the people who donated always gave food that was stale and rotten and clothes that had holes sewn up and were bleached by too many washings. The donations reminded Zubbi of the food and clothes he and his father had received from the United Nations when they were in Lagos. The food was nothing but mush that tasted awful and the clothes were completely worn through. Most families in the South Side relied on welfare to support their families but even that wasn't enough. Zubbi wondered if the adults could ask for raises at their jobs but that seemed highly unlikely. Amazu never got a raise at the construction site in Lagos so what were the chances that the bosses here would be any different? Kids joined gangs, sold drugs, and became teenage parents. In Nigeria, if a pair of teenagers had strong feelings for each other, they usually got married. But American law was out of sync with teenage hormones. American teens were forced to feel guilty if they had sexual feelings for each other and girls were forced to abort their babies when they got pregnant. The law wouldn't even allow teens to get working papers so that they could support their families. 

Zubbi and his father went to a Roman Catholic church every Sunday and befriended some other Nigerians who had moved to the South Side. They also befriended some other African immigrants who emigrated from countries that included Kenya, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, and the Sudan. The Africans talked about their first experiences in American and most of them greatly disapproved of the way the blacks in America lived compared to them. They repeated what the Nigerians said about black Americans: that they were "savages" and stated that they were "devoid of a culture." Zubbi didn't agree with all their comments. Sure Chicago had a problem with crime but Zubbi knew that crime was a way for most blacks to escape their dead end and impoverished lives. The Sudanese Muslims were refugees and were taking refuge in America until the Sudanese Civil War ended. Some of the refugees had been professors, doctors, lawyers, and businessmen. Zubbi knew that most of them probably lived on huge estates. Zubbi remembered the Islamic estate he had visited in the north of Nigeria when his father's band had a gig at an anniversary party. The estate was comprised of seventy-five acres. There was a large mansion where the owner of the estate lived and three separate houses for his wives. There were fields that grew vegetables, trees that grew fruit, and wells where the residents could get fresh water. There was a mosque where the Muslims worshiped and a school for the children. There were expensive cars, such as a Mercedes-Benz and a Rolls-Royce. There was a separate building where the owner of the estate kept his guns. He had Uzis, AK-47s, and rifles, just to name a few.

The owner of the estate was a wealthy businessman and Amazu told his son, "This is what blood, sweat, and tears earns a man. Success."

If they chose, the Muslim businessman's family never had to leave the estate; it was entirely self-supporting. But Zubbi felt that being cooped up in an estate your whole life would rob a child of experience in the real world. Most of the children who lived on the estate didn't seem to know what Zubbi and the other band members' kids were talking about when they mentioned the turmoil going on in Nigeria. The farthest most of the children had been from the estate was the nearest city and some surrounding villages. Zubbi wondered if a taste of the real world was more than what the refugees could handle.

Zubbi immersed himself in music and was determined to become a master of black music. All the kids loved music as it helped them escape their dead ends. There were ups and downs but life seemed pretty good. Until...


	5. Chapter 5

In order to make friends Zubbi signed up for the Matthew Harper Community Centre lock-in. At 6:00 PM a bunch of kids would come to the community centre and be locked in until the next morning. Inside they could do fun activities such as swim in the pool, go to the library, play on the basketball courts or tennis courts, and there was arts and crafts in the art room. Zubbi had brought along his trumpet, his favourite African musical records, and a West African talking drum. He hoped to educate the kids on any questions they had on Africa.

Some kids got interested when they saw Zubbi tapping the talking drum. They asked, "What kind of drum is that?"

Zubbi replied, "It's a talking drum. This drum can mimic human speech. Listen."

Zubbi played some African beats and it sounded like the drum was really talking. One kid stated, "Reminds me of the urban beats and beatboxing we got here."

Zubbi replied, "I can tell that African-American musical styles draw inspiration from African music. This talking drum and other types of African music is part of black history. Everyone who's black has this African blood running through their veins."

Now that he got the kids' attention he soon began to educate them about Africa: the different Nigerian tribes, the civil war, the military coups, Nollywood movies, African clothing, the spicy cuisine. Zubbi was glad that the black kids and other kids from different races and backgrounds were finally interested in hearing the real African story.

Zubbi passed the rest of his time by playing basketball, swimming in the pool, and reading books from the library. Soon it was time to go to bed and Zubbi had dreams of running through an African jungle. He saw giraffes, monkeys, hippos, leopards, and even a lion! The next morning the kids washed up, ate breakfast, packed their things, and headed for home. Zubbi knew his father would have woken up early and left for his shift at the construction site. Zubbi and DeSean were walking home together and when they came to their apartment building they noticed a yellow tape around it and there were several firefighters and ambulances. Zubbi and DeSean rushed over to find out what happened.

A firefighter explained, "Some faulty wiring on the tenth floor. It caused a huge fire that spread to the ninth and eleventh floor. Thankfully the landlord called 911 as soon as he saw smoke. Most of the people got out except for one guy with an ooga mooga name. I think it was Amazo or Amandu..."

Zubbi replied, "Do you mean Amazu? My father?! He got burned alive?!"

The firefighter replied, "No, kid, he died from smoke inhalation. The smoke clogged his airways and choked him. Everyone else got out because their smoke detectors went off like crazy. But we tested your dad's smoke alarm and apparently it wasn't working."

Zubbi asked, "What's a smoke detector?"

The firefighter explained, "A smoke detector is a device that senses smoke and when it does sets off a loud alarm. This alarm alerts people to the fact that there's probably a fire in the house. Then they leave the house, apartment, or whatever building they're in. Did you or your dad ever test your smoke alarm to make sure it was working?"

Zubbi replied, "No, we never had one in Nigeria."

The firefighter said, "Sorry, kid. Tell you what I'll call the police and we'll see if they can help you."

The police came and took him to the station. Zubbi had learned that if you were black that made you an automatic suspect in the eyes of American police. The cops were always looking for an excuse to arrest black youth. DeSean had warned him to walk slowly past cops and police cars and to never look a cop in the eye. Some cops took eye contact as the first sign of an attack. The American police reminded Zubbi of the government soldiers who patrolled the streets of Lagos so he knew how to be careful around law enforcement. The cops asked him basic questions like where he was last night and did he have any other relatives. When Zubbi said he didn't have any other relatives, the cops called someone named Big Mama to come and pick him up.

The cops explained, "Big Mama runs a huge orphanage and takes care of children who've lost their parents. I'm sure you'll love it and Big Mama  _loves_ kids."

Soon a large black woman came and picked him up. She cheerfully said, "Hello, sweetheart. I'm your Big Mama. Now how about we get you to your new home?"

Zubbi nodded okay and was led to a minivan. Big Mama drove him to a different neighbourhood in the South Side. Here the people lived in small, one-story houses. Still, a house seemed better than an apartment. Soon Big Mama drove him through the fence of a big house and Zubbi guessed that was the orphanage.

Inside Big Mama took him on a little tour and let him get situated upstairs. Big Mama said she would call the police to see if any of his stuff survived the fire. While Zubbi unpacked what he had in his backpack, he set down his talking drum, took out his trumpet, and started to play a jazz tune. Then a kid with Jheri curled hair came in and exclaimed, "Yo, dude, that is a sweet horn! The name's Tevin Campbell. What's yours?"

Zubbi replied, "Zubbi Uzoma."

Tevin said, "Come downstairs with me."

Zubbi followed him downstairs to the basement and saw all the musical equipment. "This is all yours?" he asked.

Tevin replied, "Yeah. I've been playing music for as long as I can remember. Now play a jazz tune and I'll sing along."

Zubbi started playing a jazz song on his trumpet while Tevin sang in his strong tenor voice:

 _"It don't mean a thing, if it ain't got that swing_  
_(doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah)_  
_It don't mean a thing all you got to do is sing_  
_(doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah)_  
_It makes no difference_  
_If it's sweet or hot_  
_Just give that rhythm_  
_Everything you've got_

 _It don't mean a thing, if it ain't got that swing_  
_(doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah)_  
_It don't mean a thing all you got to do is sing_  
_(doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah)"_

When Zubbi finished playing Tevin said, "You got real talent. With more practice you could be in the same ballpark as Louis Armstrong.

Zubbi replied, "Your voice would put Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington to shame." They both laughed fit to burst.

On the day of Amazu's funeral, Big Mama, Alicia, Kimberly, Nick, and Ricky found themselves under the close scrutiny of Amazu's band.

Jamal gruffly asked Nick, "So what do you do for a living? Sell drugs, make money off women's bodies, hustle poor people out of their pennies?"

Ricky replied, "I use to hustle people and sell drugs but I put all that behind me when I was released from jail. Now I work as a janitor and handyman at the University of Chicago and as a trumpeter for The Music Masters."

Nick added, "I use to steal lots of things; electronics, liquor, cars. But I decided to become a mechanic when I was released from jail and I'm also a singer and dancer with The Music Masters."

Big Mama didn't like the arrogant attitude of Jamal and the other Nigerians but Zubbi explained that they all thought African-Americans were a bunch of savages based on the lifestyle of blacks residing in their housing projects. Zubbi pointed at DeSean's family, who had also showed up for the funeral, and the adults heard DeSean's mother, Miss Baxter tell her eldest son DeQuan, "We're here to honour our good friend, Amazu Uzoma. He did a good job raising his boy, unlike your sorry ass father."

DeQuan said, "I don't care about that African booty scratcher."

Miss Baxter slapped him upside the head and said, "If you don't stop hangin' out with those hoodlum friends of yours, you ain't gonna amount to nothin' but shit."

Zubbi explained, "DeQuan's always stealing things and getting into trouble with the police. But DeRon takes hockey lessons and wants to play for the NHL. DeSean is always reading books, gets straight A's in school, and wants to be a doctor."

Alicia said, "Good thing my kids know how to behave but that DeQuan kid needs to learn to straighten his act or else."

Nick said, "I'll talk to him when we get back to the orphanage."

At the orphanage everyone paid their respects. The Nigerians questioned the adults running the orphanage to ensure that Zubbi would be fully taken care of.

Nick said, "I don't like your attitudes toward black Americans. You guys think you're better than us, and why? 'Cause your skin is blacker and your ancestors were able to escape the slave catchers?"

DJ cut in and said, "Blacks in the USA have had to deal with racism, prejudice, and bigotry that you can't even begin to imagine. My mom heard bombs every night when she lived in Birmingham, Alabama. One of those bombs was set off in a church and killed four little girls. The whites wanted to send the Negros a message; that they should stay in their place or else."

Nick looked at a teenager named Zaahid and said, "I saw you reading _The Autobiography of Malcolm X_. Did you know the man held me when I was a baby and my parents listened to him preach in Roxbury?"

Zaahid said, "Your parents heard Malcolm speak?"

Nick nodded his head and said, "Before you judge someone find out what they're all about." After that the Nigerians decided that the adults at The Unconditional Orphanage were honourable people and that Zubbi would benefit greatly from being raised by them. The children at The Unconditional Orphanage were always in great hands.


End file.
